Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-11-10
The Largest Opium-Den in China.

A writer in the North China Herald
describes the Nan-gin-tsin. the great
est opium den in China. 1t is situated
III the French concession to Shanhai,
| Wlthln a stones throw of the wall OF
the native city, within which no OPIUM
| shops are supposed to exist. The
tnronSs visiting 1t represent all stations
OF life. from the cooley to the wealthy
merchant or the small mandarin.
1t IS with difficulty that one gets inside
through the crowds of people hanging
around the door. Those who have not
the requisite number of copper cash to
procure the baneful pipe watch with
horrible wlstfulnesS each of the
more athuent pass in with a nervous,
hurried step, or totter out wearing
that peculiar dazed expression which
comes after the smokers craving has
been satisfied and his transient
| pleasure has passed aw V. One re-
CURES strong stomach to stand the
sickening fumes with which the air in
side is thickened. The clouds of smoke.
the dim light from the numerous col
ored lamps, the numbers of reclining
forms with distorted faces bent over
the small flames at which the pipes
are lighted cause the novice sicken-
ING sensation.
But as soon as the eye becomes ac-
customed to the scene it is noticed
that the place is got up on an expen-
slve scale. In the center of the lower
room hangs one of the finest of Chinese
lamps, the ceiling is of richly-carved
wood, while the painted walls are
thickly inlaid with peculiarly marked
marble, which gives the idea of un-
finished landscape sketches. Numer-
Gus doors on all sides lead to the
smokers apartments. In the outer
portion of the building stands a
counter covered with little boxes of the
drug ready for smoking, which dozen
assistants are kept busy handing out
10 the servants who wait upon the
habitues of the place. The average
daily receipts are said to be about
f200. The smoking apartments are
divided into four classes. In the cheap
est are coolies, who pay about four
pence for their smoke. In the dear
est the smoke costs about seyenpence.
The drug supplied in each class is
much the same both in quality and
quantity; it is the difference in the
pipes that regulates the puce. Ine
best kinds are made of ivory, the stem
being often inlaid with stones and
rendered more costly by reason of
elaborate carving; the cheapest kinds
are made simply of hard wood.
The rooms also are furnished &C.
cording to class. In the most expen-
sive the lounge upon which the smoker
reclines is of fine velvet, with pillows of
the same material; the frames of each
couch are inlaid with mother-of-
and jade, and the whole air of these
rooms is one of sensuous luxury.
There is also a number of private
rooms. In the poorer section will be
seen many wearers of the tattered
yellow and gray robes of Buddhist and
Tavist priests. Women form a fair
proportion of the smokers The COM
mon belief is that the opium sleep is
attended by a mild, pleasurable de-
lirum, with brief glances of Elysiuri1,
but this is the exception, not the rule
People smoke to satisfy the craving
begotten of previous indulgence.
There is accommodation for $50
smokers at time, and there is sell
dom q vacancy very long. The stream
Of smokers goes on from early morn
ing till midnight, when the place
closes; the clouds of smoke go up in
cessantly all day long.